In-duct flue gas conditioning system

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a flue gas conditioning system and method for generating conditioning agent used in the removal of entrained particles in a flue gas flow with an electrostatic precipitator. The invention involves the use of a catalytic converter movable between an operative position where the flue gas flows through the catalyst and converts SO 2  contained in the flue gas to SO 3  when conditioning agent is needed and an inoperative position where the flue gas does not flow through the catalyst when conditioning agent is no longer needed. The movable catalytic converter and related assembly may take variable configurations to accommodate various flue gas ductworks and space limitations.

This is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. Nos.07/864,847 filed Apr. 7, 1992 and 07/882,835 filed May 14, 1992.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a system for treating boiler flue gas toimprove the removal of particulate matter contained therein byelectrostatic means and, more particularly, relates to a flue gasconditioning system for converting sulfur dioxide in the flue gas intosulfur trioxide to provide conditioning agent to the flue gasparticulate matter prior to its passage through an electrostaticprecipitator.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The increasing demand for electrical power has forced electricalutilities to burn increasing quantities of fossil fuels such as coal;however, electric utilities also face increasing environmental standardsimposed upon their operation. In order to reduce air pollutants,electrical utilities have turned to burning low-sulfur coals to firetheir boiler furnaces to generate the steam needed for generatingelectrical power. In addition, electrical utilities generally use a fluegas treatment system to remove the majority of the particulate matter inthe gas effluent. A flue gas treatment system generally comprises anelectrostatic means, such as an electrostatic precipitator, and aconditioning agent source for introducing a conditioning agent into theflue gas stream to enhance the efficiency of the precipitator inremoving particulate matter.

The efficiency of an electrostatic precipitator in removing particulatematter from the boiler flue gas is partially dependent upon theelectrical resistivity of the entrained particulate matter in the boilerflue gas. The entrained particulate matter expelled from a boiler firedwith low-sulfur coal, i.e., coal having less than 1 percent sulfur, hasbeen found to have a resistivity of approximately 10¹³ ohms/cm. It hasbeen determined that the most efficient removal of particulate matter byelectrostatic precipitation occurs when the particulate matterresistivity is approximately 10⁸ ohms/cm. Therefore, to obtain moreeffective use of an electrostatic precipitator, the resistivity of theentrained particulate matter from low-sulfur content coals must bereduced. Electrical utilities have long used conditioning agentsintroduced into the flue gas flow upstream of the electrostaticprecipitator to reduce the resistivity of the entrained particles.Various chemicals, such as water and hydrous ammonia, sulfuric acid,sulfur trioxide and phosphoric acid and various ammonia-bearingsolutions have been used as conditioning agents.

Flue gas treatment systems which have been considered for use in thegeneration of sulfur trioxide conditioning agents include thosefrequently referred to as "slipstream" systems. In theory, some of theflue gas can be removed from the boiler ductwork, passed across aconverter where SO₂ contained in the flue gas is converted to SO₃ andpiped back into the ductwork, where the SO₃ in the flue gas will reducethe fly ash resistivity and increase precipitator efficiency asdescribed above. An advantage of this method is that the SO₂ and theheat required for the SO₂ /SO₃ conversion are already present in theflue gas at no additional cost.

Systems embodying this theory are known. Most, if not all, suggestremoving a small proportion of the flue gas, referred to as a"slipstream", from the duct at a temperature to suit conversion, whichis typically approximately 800° F. Because the flue gas contained flyash, which could inhibit the effectiveness of conventional catalystmaterial, the slipstream was cleaned by a precipitator becauseconventional baghouse filters do not normally operate at thesetemperatures. Precipitators operating at these high temperatures(commonly called "hotside units") were expensive, when fabricated towithstand high temperatures. Following cleaning, the slipstream was thenpassed across a catalytic converter and the slipstream with an increasedSO₃ content was piped back into the ductwork ahead of, or behind, theairheater.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,581,463 discloses such a slipstream method of removingsuspended particulate matter from boiler flue gas wherein a portion ofthe flue gas is withdrawn, electrostatically cleaned to removeparticulates, then passed through a catalyst chamber to convert sulfurdioxide contained in the flue gas to sulfur trioxide. The sulfurtrioxide is then returned to the main flue gas stream which then passesthrough an electrostatic precipitator.

The slipstream was usually suggested to be about five percent of thetotal flue gas for a catalyst efficiency of approximately 80 percent.The slipstream normally contained 400 ppm SO₂ from the combustion of lowsulfur coal, and after conversion of the SO₂, it contained about 320 ppmSO₃. When combined with the flue gas, the SO₃ content of such aslipstream could result in about 16 ppm of SO₃ in the flue gas, whichcould improve the operation of the precipitator.

Such proposed systems frequently included a blower or fan to draw theslipstream through the hotside precipitator and catalytic converter, andinsulated probes if the converted slipstream was put back into theductwork downstream of the airheater. The catalytic converter of suchsystems was relatively large in order to handle the slipstream at gasvelocities suitable for conversion efficiencies of 80 percent or more,and was located close to the economizer outlet ductwork to operate atthe correct temperatures.

More recently, Electric Power Research Institute ("EPRI"), Palo Alto,California, has proposed a system in which flue gas is withdrawn fromthe duct as before, but is passed through a catalytic converter withoutcleaning. The development of a catalyst which is effective in thepresence of fly ash has eliminated the need for cleaning the flue gas.The catalytic converter and associated ductwork of EPRI's system areinstalled adjacent to the flue gas ductwork. The slipstream is ductedinto the catalytic converter near the economizer where gas temperaturesare about 800° F. The volume of the slipstream is controlled by anautomatic valve. After conversion, the slipstream gas is re-introducedinto the flue gas downstream of the airheater via low pressure insulatedprobes. This EPRI system operates at only a few inches of water gaugepressure, which is the reason for installing the probes downstream ofthe airheater, and consequently does not require a blower.

A small pilot system installed by EPRI with a capacity of 1,000 acfm at800° F. has operated without severe problems since November 1990. Theconverter efficiency of EPRI's system is believed to be approximately60-80 percent. The catalytic converter is fitted with soot blowers, butcatalytic converter pressure drop is so low that they have not beenrequired.

For full scale operation, however, the EPRI slipstream system has somedistinct disadvantages. First, the EPRI system requires the developmentof probes which will work at a low pressure drop to obtain the good SO₃distribution necessary for effective operation. Unlike conventionalprobes which normally operate at 3-4 psig, the low pressure probes thatare required must work at a gauge pressure of 5 or 6 inches of watercolumn and operate with dust-laden gas. Second, control of the processdepends upon the operation of the inlet high-temperature valve and theamount of SO₃ generated is dependent upon the slipstream entry locationselected. Third, the SO₃ slipstream must re-enter the ductworkdownstream of the airheater. Some plants have short ductwork runsbetween the airheater and the precipitator, and there is insufficientroom for re-entry ductwork. Fourth, the slipstream ductwork must becarefully designed for low pressure drop and be very well insulated, andthe slipstream ductwork route may be long and somewhat expensive forsome boiler furnace arrangements.

All the proposed slipstream systems known to applicant, including theEPRI pilot plant, propose to use a relatively small slipstream, 2 to 5percent, and attempt to achieve high-efficiency catalytic conversionbefore re-introduction into the main flow of flue gas. All of theproposed systems take the slipstream outside of the ductwork for passagethrough the catalytic converter, and then return the SO₃ -laden gas tothe ductwork either upstream or downstream of the airheater. The seriousproblem attendant with such proposed slipstream systems include not onlythose set forth above, but also prohibitively high costs and lack ofsatisfactory process control.

Controlling the flow of a flue gas conditioning agent has beenapproached in a variety of ways. The quantity of conditioning agentproduced has been commonly determined by the quantity of coal beingburned, precipitator power and/or the opacity of the flue gas generatedby the coal combustion. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,864,456 disclosesan automatic control for electrostatic precipitators which varies boththe electrostatic precipitator voltage and the supply of a conditioningagent, such as water, for conditioning particles to be removed by theelectrostatic precipitator and to maintain an optimum sparking rate formaximum efficiency in the removal of the particles.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,523,407 discloses a method of improving theelectrostatic precipitation of particles from a flue gas by addingpre-selected amounts of ammonia and water to the flue gas streamupstream of the precipitator.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,665,676 discloses a system to condition the particles ofboiler flue gas which includes a metering means for controlling theamount of conditioner injected into the flue gas. The conditioningagent, preferably a salt solution such as ammonium sulfate or ammoniumbisulfate, is injected into the flue gas prior to entering theelectrostatic precipitator. U.S. Pat. No. 3,665,676 discloses that, ifdesired, conventional automatic controls can be provided to open themetering means when the flue gas reaches a desired operating temperatureor to close it should the temperature fall below the desired operatingtemperature. In addition, automatic controls can also be made to openthe metering means to provide an amount of conditioner needed inproportion to the volume of flue gas to be conditioned.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,689,213 discloses a process for treating flue gas inwhich gaseous sulfur trioxide is generated in the immediate vicinity ofthe point of use as required by the quantity of fossil fuel being burnedper unit time and is then introduced into the flue gas at apredetermined rate to facilitate the removal of fly ash by anelectrostatic precipitator.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,772,178 discloses a system for the production of sulfurtrioxide for flue gas conditioning including means to deliver a sourceof sulfur, such as sulfuric acid, to a vaporizer in proportion to theamount of flue gas generated by the boiler, measured in terms of theelectrical output generated at a particular time. As the production offlue gas changes in the boiler system, the proper ratio of sulfuric acidto flue gas is automatically maintained by control means responsive to asignal coming from a boiler capacity index gauge to control the volumeof sulfur trioxide being produced by the system.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,429 discloses that SO₃ flue gas conditioning systemscan operate by sensing the rate of coal combustion and varying the rateof flow of sulfur into the sulfur burner in response to the rate of coalcombustion.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,770,674 discloses a system for conditioning flue gas foran electrostatic precipitator, including equipment for converting sulfurinto sulfur trioxide. The disclosed systems of U.S. Pat. No. 4,770,674include a sulfur burner to produce oxidized sulfur, a catalyticconverter to convert the oxidized sulfur to sulfur trioxide, and meansto control sulfur and air inputs to the sulfur burner. Various inputs tothe control means are disclosed, including the outlet temperature of thecatalytic converter, and such operating parameters of the exhaust stageof the system as the output temperature of the exhaust gas from theprecipitator, the flow rate of the exhaust gas, the power delivered toor the speed of, an induced draft fan, if any, the opacity of theexhaust gas within the stack, and the power dissipated by theprecipitator.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,207 discloses a system for preconditioning flue gasfor electrostatic precipitation that includes a source of an SO₃conditioning agent, means for controllably adding the conditioning agentto the flue gas, means for detecting the input power level of theelectrostatic precipitators, and control means for monitoring the inputpower level and controlling the amount of conditioning agent added tothe gas to maintain the input power to the electrostatic precipitator atpredetermined levels.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,516 discloses a slipstream method of catalyticallyoxidizing SO₂ to SO₃ in the presence of fly ash wherein a portion of theflue gas is withdrawn from the main flue gas flow, passed through aconverter so that SO₂ within the gas flow is catalytically converted toSO₃, and then the portion flow reinjected into the main flue gas flowupstream from the electrostatic precipitator. The catalytic converter ofU.S. Pat. No. 5,011,516 comprises a series of parallel air flow passageswhich are lined with a catalytic material for converting SO₂ to SO₃. Theparallel flow-through passages allow for passage of gasses andparticulates without fouling of the catalytic material.

A controller commercially available from Castlet (Electronic Engineers)Ltd., of Lincoln, England, can control an electrostatic precipitator bydetecting the presence of deleterious back ionization and intermittentlyapplying voltage to the charging electrodes of the precipitator tominimize the back ionization phenomenon. The Castlet controller detectsback ionization by interrupting the applied charging voltage at its peakvalue and comparing, after a preset time, the actual charging electrodevoltage with a programmed charging electrode voltage to identify excesscharging electrode decay rate, which is indicative of back ionization.The Castlet controller uses the difference in the actual and theprogrammed charging electrode voltage to determine a rate of applicationof voltage to the charging electrodes in an effort to optimizeprecipitator operation in the presence of back ionization.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,032,154 discloses, among other things, a system thatprovides automatic control of the opacity of the effluent of acoal-fired boiler to maintain minimal opacity of the flue gas effluentpassing from the boiler into the atmosphere. Systems of U.S. Pat. No.5,032,154 provide a controlled flow of an agent, such as sulfurtrioxide, to the boiler flue gas to condition particulate matterentrained in the flue gas for removal by electrostatic means, monitorprecipitator power and the opacity of the boiler flue gas after itleaves the electrostatic particle-removal means, and vary the controlledflow of conditioning agent to hunt and operate at desirable conditioningagent flow rates determined from flue gas opacity alone or combined withprecipitator power.

Other conditioning systems are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos.3,686,825; 3,893,828; 4,042,348; 4,284,417; 4,466,815; 4,533,364; and4,624,685.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The system and method of this invention provide generation, within theductwork for the boiler flue gas and from the flowing flue gas, of anSO₃ conditioning agent to enhance the electrostatic removal ofparticulate matter entrained in the flue gas.

In the invention, a catalytic converter for the generation of SO₃conditioning agent from the flue gas is moved between an inoperativeposition where flue gas does not pass through the catalytic converterand an operative position where a substantial portion of the flue gaspasses through the catalytic converter for the generation of SO₃conditioning agent. In preferred methods and apparatus, a catalyticconverter is moved between an inoperative position outside of the fluegas ductwork and an operative position within the flue gas ductwork.Furthermore, in preferred methods and apparatus, the catalytic convertermay be enclosed in a housing adjacent the flue gas ductwork in theinoperative position, and the housing may be isolated from the flue gasductwork and opened to permit maintenance and regeneration of thecatalyst.

Generation of conditioning agent in systems and methods of the inventionis preferably by the use of the flue gas conditioning agent demandcontrol apparatus disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No.07/882,835 filed May 14, 1992, and U.S. patent application Ser. No.07/864,847 filed Apr. 7, 1992.

The invent ion is illustrated and described in more detail by thedrawings and the detailed description of several preferred embodimentsthat follow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a general schematic view of a flue gas conditioning systemprovided by this invention;

FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of an in-duct flue gasconditioning system provided by this invention shown in workingarrangement adjacent a vertical flue gas duct;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the in-duct flue gas conditioning systemof FIG. 2 showing catalyst beds disposed in operative positions withinthe flue gas duct;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the in-duct flue gas conditioning systemof FIG. 2 showing a single catalyst bed disposed in an inoperativeposition outside the flue gas duct;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view showing a catalystbed of this invention as depicted in FIG. 4 in an inoperative positionoutside of the main flue gas duct;

FIG. 6 is a view of the system of FIG. 5, from the left of FIG. 5,showing a damper system and access means provided by this invention;

FIG. 7A is a further enlarged isolated cross section of FIG. 5 showing acatalyst bed and means provided by this invention for driving thecatalyst bed between operative and inoperative positions;

FIG. 7B is a partial cross-sectional end view of the roller assemblyprovided by a preferred embodiment of this invention taken from line7B--7B of FIG. 7A;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of an in-duct fluegas conditioning system provided by this invention shown in a workingarrangement adjacent a vertical flue gas duct;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged isolated cross-sectional view showing one means bywhich the catalyst bed of the system of FIG. 8 can be pivotably movedbetween a first operative position within the gas flow and a secondinoperative position outside of the gas flow; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a still further embodiment of thein-duct flue gas conditioning system of FIG. 8 shown in a workingarrangement adjacent a horizontal flue gas duct.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A system 10 incorporating this invention is shown in FIG. 1. System 10generally provides a means and method for converting sulfur dioxide(SO₂) contained in the particulate-laden boiler flue gas, indicatedgenerally by arrow 12, to sulfur trioxide (SO₃) within a duct or conduit13 upstream of an electrostatic means 14 to improve the removal of theparticulate matter from the boiler flue gas 12 prior to its expulsion tothe atmosphere from a stack 15. Precipitator 14 can include a chargedelectrode 14a and a collector electrode 14b. Conversion of the SO₂ inthe boiler flue gas to SO₃ can be effected by an assembly 20 arrangedadjacent duct 13 upstream of the precipitator 14. Assembly 20 providesan inoperable position when conditioning agent is not generated and anoperable position for converting a small portion of the SO₂ contained inthe flue gas 12 to SO₃, which serves to condition the flue gas 12 priorto electrostatic precipitator 14. Such a system is preferably designedto provide conditioning agent sufficient to condition the particulatematter of a boiler flue gas ranging from 3 g/m³ stp to about 10 g/m³stp, and to provide a conditioning agent concentration of generally lessthan 40 ppm, preferably 20 to 30 ppm. As set forth below, assembly 20 iscontrolled by a controller 16 to provide conditioning agent for theremoval of particulate matter from the stack effluent when needed.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-7, and particularly to FIGS. 2-4, assembly 20can include catalytic conversion means 22, represented for simplicity inFIG. 1 by bi-directional arrow 22, movable between an operative positionwithin the duct 13 and an inoperative position outside of duct 13. Whenthe catalytic conversion means 22 is located in the operative positionwithin the duct 13, it positions an SO₂ --SO₃ catalyst so that asubstantial portion of the flue gas 12 passes through the catalystconversion means 22 and so a portion of the SO₂ contained in the fluegas 12 can be converted to SO₃. When the catalytic conversion means 22is located in the inoperative position outside of the duct 13, the fluegas 12 cannot pass through the catalytic conversion and, consequently,no conditioning agent is generated.

As shown in FIGS. 2-4, systems of the invention can comprise a pair ofassemblies 20 and catalytic conversion means 22 located on opposingsides of the flue gas duct 13. While a separate assembly 20 is showndisposed on each opposing side of duct 13 in FIGS. 2-4, each assembly 20and its elements are substantially identical, and for simplicity,reference will be made to only one of the assemblies. The discussionshould be understood, however, to apply to each of the opposingassemblies 20.

Conversion means 22 can comprise SO₂ --SO₃ catalytic material 24 carriedand supported within a carriage means or frame 26 that is movable by anymotor means, which may include, as further set forth below, hydraulic orelectric motors (not shown) and a rack-and-gear assembly 30, as shown inFIGS. 5 and 7. Each assembly 20 may further comprise, as shown in FIGS.2-6, an insulated steel housing 23 built onto the existing flue gas duct13, generally at a right angle to the path of gas flow 12, for housingthe conversion means 22 while in the inoperative position. For the useof currently available SO₂ --SO₃ catalytic materials housing 23 ispreferably installed on the flue gas duct where flue gas temperature isgenerally in the range of about 750° F. to about 1075° F. (399° C. to579° C.) and preferably approximately 850° F. (454° C.).

Access to the interior of duct 13 from housing 23 is provided throughopening 25, shown best in FIG. 2.

As shown in FIGS. 5-7, each assembly 20 can further comprise a pluralityof rollers 34 upon which the carriage means 26 is supported and providea steel track means 36, which spans the flue gas duct 13, upon which thecarriage means 26 travels back and forth (FIGS. 5 and 7). As shown inFIGS. 2-5, housing 23 preferably extends outwardly from the main fluegas duct 13 and the track 36 extends into the housing 23 to allow thecatalytic carriage frame 26 to travel and be positioned within thehousing 23 when travelling from the operative position within the flueduct 13 to the inoperative position outside the flue gas duct 13.

Each assembly 20 can further comprise a guillotine damper 40 (FIGS. 5and 6) to close off opening 25 in the flue gas duct 13 to isolate thehousing 23 and carriage frame 26 from the duct 13 for maintenance orreplacement of catalyst material or for routine inspections, all whilethe system 10 is in full operation. If desired, soot blowers can beinstalled within the housing 23 to clean the carriage frame 26periodically or if the operating pressure drop across the catalystmaterial 24 increases. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, guillotine damper 40is positioned adjacent housing 23 and is driven by drive means 42, whichmay be provided by an electric motor, which, in turn, reversibly drivesshaft 43 carrying pulley wheels 44 that are connected to damper 40 bycables 46. Damper drive 42 reversibly drives shaft 43 to raise and lowerdamper 40 as determined by controller 16. Motor 42 can be supported on ashelf-and-bracket structure 42a secured to the outside wall of main duct13, or may be secured by any other conventional means for securing motor42 in a fixed position to move damper 40 in a vertical path to close andopen opening 25 as needed.

As shown in FIGS. 2-6, the outward side of housing 23 is provided withan opening 50, which is formed with a perimeter flange 52, to allowaccess into the interior of housing 23 and specifically to the carriageframe 26 for inspection or maintenance or replacement of catalystmaterial 24. During such times, guillotine damper 40 will be moved intoposition to close off opening 25 into the main duct 13. FIG. 6 is a viewof the assembly 20 showing the housing 23 extending outwardly from themain duct 13 toward the reader with the access door 54 removed forclarity. Access door 54 may be detachably secured to perimeter flange 52by a variety of conventional means, such as by threaded fasteners inthreaded bore 52a.

As noted above, the apparatus of this invention can comprise a firsthousing 23 adjacent to and opening into one side of the main flue gasduct 13 and a second housing 23 disposed adjacent to and opening intothe main flue gas duct 13 on the side opposite the first housing, withtrack 36 spanning across the main flue gas duct 13 and extending intoeach of the housings. A first movable carriage frame 26 is adapted totravel upon track means 36 and be positioned within a first housing 23on one side of the duct 13 when travelling from a first operativeposition within the main flue gas duct 13 to an inoperative positionoutside of the main flue gas duct 13. Likewise, a second movablecarriage frame 26 is adapted to travel upon track 36 and be positionedwithin the second housing 23 on the other side of duct 13 whentravelling from a first operative position within the main flue gas duct13 to an inoperative position outside of the main flue gas duct 13. Intheir respective operative positions within the duct 13, first andsecond carriage frames 26 are located adjacent one another and spansubstantially across the entire interior of the duct 13 (as shown inFIG. 3) so that substantially all of the flue gas flow 12 passes throughthe catalytic material 24 carried by the carriage frames 26.

As shown in FIGS. 5, 7A and 7B, one preferred means for moving thecarriage frames 26 between their operative and inoperative positionscomprises motor driven rack-and-pinion assemblies 30 including a drivegear 31, preferably a 4 inch spur gear, and a rack 33, preferably a No.5 pitch rack. Gear 31 is preferably driven by a conventional electricmotor (not shown) controlled by controller 16 to move in reversedirections, as indicated by reference arrow "a", so that a plurality ofteeth 31a provided about the perimeter of gear 31 engage a flat rack 33provided with a plurality of corresponding teeth 33a. Rack 33 issecurely affixed to carriage frame 26 so that as gear 31 rotates inengagement with rack 33, carriage frame 26 is moved back and forth alongtrack means 36 on rollers 34 which are securely affixed to track means36 so that the carriage frame 26 and rack 33 are movably supportedthereon. In one exemplary assembly 20, rollers 34 are preferably forgedsteel wheels having dimensions of four inches in diameter and one andone-half inches in thickness. Track means 36 can be supported withinhousing 23 upon spanner plates constructed of 2"×11/4" flat stock.Distance D1 of carriage frame 26 is preferably seven feet, six inches,which substantially corresponds to the interior distance D2 (FIG. 5)from the inside wall of main duct 13 to the center line 13a of duct 13,where the interior cross-distance of flue duct 13 is approximately 15feet. In this assembly, the distance D3 from the inward surface ofperimeter flange 52 and the outside wall of duct 13 is preferably eightfeet.

FIG. 7B shows an enlarged partial cross-sectional end view of therack-and-pinion assembly 30 and track means 36 and rollers 34 providedby this invention to move catalytic carriage frame 26 between itsoperative and inoperative positions. Such structure more particularlyincludes a pair of angle brackets 50 secured to the spanner plates 23a.A channel guide 52 is affixed to the underside of catalyst frame 26adjacent its edge. As shown in FIG. 7B, channel guide 52 extendspartially beyond the edge of catalyst frame 26 to provide additionalsupport for rack 33. Angle bracket support 54 provides additionalsupport for rack 33.

Track means 36 is formed by angle supports 50 which extend into thehousings 23 and span across the main flue gas duct 13. As shown in FIGS.7A and 7B, the plurality of rollers 34 are rotatably carried between theangle supports 50. Each roller 34 rotates about an axle 56 which iswelded to angle supports 50 at reference points 58. Channel guide 52extends fully along the length of the underside of carriage frame 26 andis guided by and rolled over rollers 34 as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B.Alignment rods 60 are provided in the upper corners of channel guide 52to provide better alignment and smoother movement of the catalyst frame26 across the plurality of roller wheels 34. An arrangement like thatshown in FIG. 7B is provided at the opposite edge of carriage frame 26,without however, the structure to support rack 33. If desired, however,a rack-and-opinion assembly can be provided on each side of carriageframe 26 to drive the frame back and forth. Also, if desired, a similarroller assembly can be provided along the central portion of thecatalyst frame 26 to provide additional support if needed.

A further embodiment of this invention is shown in FIG. 8. As shown inFIGS. 8 and 9, a movable carriage means 126 of a catalytic conversionmeans 22 of an assembly 20 may be pivotally supported and disposed in ahousing 123 generally parallel to the flue gas duct 13 while in theinoperative position. Carriage means 126 can be moved pivotally,indicated by reference arrow "b", between an inoperative position shownin solid lines in FIG. 9 and an operative position 126a substantiallynormal to the flue gas flow 12 within the main flue gas duct 13, asshown in phantom lines in FIG. 9. As shown in FIG. 8, such a system canbe installed on both sides of duct 13. The embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9includes a motor-driven curved rack-and-opinion assembly 130 comprisingtoothed gears 131 affixed to gear rod 132 and curved rack members 133which engage and are driven by gears 131. Assembly 130 may includetransverse support members 136 to ensure the rigidity of the assembly.An idler arm 140 is affixed in position within annex housing 123 to rideon the inward side of assembly 130 to keep the assembly 130 moving in afixed curvilinear linear path. Gear rod 132 and gears 131 can be drivenby a conventional electric motor (not shown). Gears 131 engage the rackmembers 133 of assembly 130, which is connected to catalyst frame 126 atone or more brackets 128 at its end opposite pivotal end 127.

In use, when actuated by control means 16, gears 131 are driven in acounter-clockwise direction, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, which drivesassembly 130 and catalyst frame 126 in a clockwise direction, as shownin FIG. 9, to its operative position 126a, shown in phantom lines inFIG. 9, generally normal to the gas flow 12 within duct 13. In theoperative position 126a, a substantial portion of the gas flow 12 passesthrough the catalytic material 124 carried within frame 126.

Upon being directed by control means 16 to move catalyst frame 126 toits inoperative position, the electric motor (not shown) drives gears131 and gear rod 132 in a clockwise direction, as observed in FIGS. 8and 9, which drives assembly 130 and catalyst frame 126 along acounter-clockwise path until catalyst frame 126 is in an inoperativeposition as shown in solid lines in FIG. 9. If desired, catalyst frame126 may be provided with a roller or wheel means 142 provided at its endopposite pivotal end 127 to be received in a track 124 provided in thefloor of housing 123.

The embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9 can further include a damper 40 to closeoff opening 125 in the flue gas duct 13 to isolate housing 123 andcatalyst frame 126 in its inoperative position from the interior of duct13. As with the previously described embodiment, damper 40 may be drivenby an electric motor 42, supported upon bracket support shelf 42a, thatdrives rod 43 carrying pulley wheels 44 which, in turn, reel in or letout cable 46 to move damper 40 in a vertical path to open or closeopening 125. An access panel 154 can be provided in a side wall of annexhousing 123 to provide access to catalyst frame 126 for inspection ormaintenance or replacement of the catalyst material.

FIG. 10 shows the embodiment of this invention shown in FIGS. 8 and 9having a curved rack-and-opinion assembly oriented in a workingarrangement adjacent a horizontal main flue gas duct 13. The embodimentof FIG. 10 is substantially identical to the embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9except for a different orientation of damper drive motor 42. Motor 42 ispreferably supported on a base 42a secured to duct 13 and drives a driveshaft 42b having a gear 42c at its end which engages corresponding gear43a disposed normally thereto at the end of rod 43. Rod 43 carries aspur gear 44a and guide roller 44b which move damper 40 through rack 46and guide channel 47. The end of rod 43 rotates freely within a yokebracket 48. In all other aspects, the embodiment of FIG. 10 is identicalto the embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9.

In some installations, pivoting catalyst conversion means, such as thoseshown in FIGS. 8-10, may be pivotally moved within the flue gas duct anddriven from outside of the flue gas duct between an inoperative positionparallel to and adjacent the walls of the duct where the catalyst is outof the flow of flue gas and an operative position extending across theduct where the catalyst is in the flow of flue gas. In suchinstallations, removable panels may be installed in the duct to provideaccess to the catalyst and catalyst conversion means. In suchinstallations, the rack members 133 that drive the catalyst carriage 126may extend through sealed openings in the duct.

Conversion means 22 is activated to move between the operative andinoperative positions upon receiving a signal from a remote controlmeans 16 (FIG. 1) based upon the need for conditioning of the flue gas12. When a need for conditioning of the flue gas is determined bycontrol means 16, it directs a signal to actuating means 21 of assembly20 to move conversion means 22 to the operative position within the duct13 so that a substantial portion of the flue gas flow 12 passes throughthe catalytic material 24 carried by frame 26. Conversely, when controlmeans 16 determines that conditioning of the flue gas 12 is not needed,it directs a signal to actuating means 21 of assembly 20 to moveconversion means 22 to the inoperative position where flue gas does notpass through the catalyst.

Operation of the catalyst conversion means 22 between the operative andinoperative positions is preferably effected by a conditioning agentdemand control apparatus like that disclosed in U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 07/882,835, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporatedherein by reference. The combination of such control apparatus in thisinvention permits a determination of a satisfactory resistivitycondition of the particulate matter collected within the electrostaticprecipitator 14, which can permit the catalytic conversion means 22, 26,126 to remain in its inoperative position for periods of several hours.In such systems, the control means 16 for assembly 20 can be connectedwith an electrostatic precipitator control adapted to sense a dischargerate of a charged electrode 14a as disclosed in U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 07/882,835.

Other control means can be used, however, for operating assembly 20. Forexample, the control means 16 can monitor the operation of theelectrostatic precipitator 14 and the opacity of the flue gas emittedfrom the stack 15. To this end, control means 16 can be coupled to theelectrostatic precipitator control 17 and determine the power used bythe electrostatic precipitator in removing particulate matter from theflue gas. Control means 16 can also be coupled to an opacity meter 15athat provides output signals proportional to the opacity of the effluentfrom stack 15. Control means 16 may thus determine changes in theopacity of the effluent from stack 15 that accompany such transientconditions as boiler upsets due to the incomplete combustion of coal orcarbon carryover from coal combustion, ash-handling problems,precipitator rapping, boiler soot blowing and other such transientchanges in operation which cannot be corrected by SO₃ -conditioningmethods and provide a conditioning agent demand signal for operation ofassembly 20 as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,032,154.

A controller suitable to serve as control means 16 is Allen-Bradley'sT30 Plant Floor Terminal Programmable Controller, or Bristol-Babcock'sNetwork 3000 Compatible Intelligent Controller, but other equivalentprogrammable controllers can also be used. Indeed, control means 16 canbe provided by a programmable microprocessor and random access memory.

The preferred catalyst material 24 suitable for use with this inventioncomprises a honeycomb ceramic sold by Applied Ceramics of Atlanta, Ga.30359 under their trademark Versagrid which has been coated withvanadium pentoxide. Such catalyst material works effectively inparticulate-laden flue gas and operates at high gas velocity with lowpressure drop. Its wide operating temperature range allows the catalystmaterial 24 to be located in variable positions within the duct 13between the economizer outlet and the airheater inlet. Depending on theamount of conditioning agent needed, several batteries of conversionassemblies 20 can be installed in the duct 13 a certain distance apart,or the depth of the catalyst can be varied. Catalyst may also beavailable from Monsanto Enviro-Chem, St. Louis, Mo.

The catalyst material 24, which can be changed (more or less catalyst)and cleaned all with the system 10 on line, is preferably carried bycarriage means 26 in replaceable perforated plate containers carried bycarriage means 26, which are constructed of steel suitable forhigh-temperature operation. Catalyst frame 26 can be constructed ofstainless expanded steel in sizes of approximately ten feet (10') inwidth, and seven feet six inches (7'6") in depth and one foot (1') tall.As shown in FIGS. 2-4, frame 26 can be constructed to carry thereinthree rows of bed baskets of catalyst material 24 with three baskets ineach row. After the catalyst material is loaded into frame 26, its topis fastened to secure the baskets within the frame 26.

While the invention has been described and illustrated in severalpreferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that theinvention can be practiced in other embodiments, such as with flexiblecatalyst carriages that may be bent or slide into an operative position.Accordingly, the invention is limited only by the prior art and thefollowing claims.

I claim:
 1. In a system for conditioning flue gas generated by a boilerfurnace prior to its emission to the atmosphere, including conduit meansfor conducting a flow of flue gas from said boiler furnace to theatmosphere and an electrostatic precipitator located in said conduitmeans for electrostatically removing particulate matter entrained in theflue gas, the improvement comprising:an assembly arranged upstream ofthe electrostatic precipitator for converting a portion of sulfurdioxide contained in the flue gas flow to sulfur trioxide, saidconversion assembly including catalytic conversion means having anoperative position wherein a substantial portion of the flue gas flowpasses through said catalytic converter for converting a portion of thesulfur dioxide contained in the flue gas flow to sulfur trioxide, and aninoperative position, wherein the flue gas flow does not pass throughsaid catalytic conversion means said catalytic conversion means beingmovable and said assembly including means to move the catalyticconversion means between said operative and inoperative positions basedupon the need for or lack of need for conditioning of the flue gas flow.2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said assembly is adapted to move saidcatalytic conversion means to the operative position, said operativeposition being located within the conduit means, upon receiving a signalfrom a remote control means indicating that increased conditioning ofthe flue gas is needed, and to move said catalytic conversion means tothe inoperative position, said inoperative position being locatedoutside of the conduit means, upon receiving a signal from the remotecontrol means indicating that conditioning of the flue gas is no longerneeded.
 3. In an apparatus for converting sulfur dioxide contained inboiler flue gas into sulfur trioxide that includes a main flue gas ductleading to an electrostatic means for removing particulate matter fromthe flue gas, the improvement comprising:a catalytic converter forconverting SO₂ to SO₃, disposed adjacent to the main flue gas duct, saidcatalytic converter being movable between an operative position withinthe main flue gas duct whereby a substantial portion of the flue gaspasses through the converter and an inoperative position outside of themain flue gas duct whereby no flue gas passes through said catalyticconverter; and means for moving the catalytic converter between saidoperative and inoperative positions in response to signals received froma remote control source indicating that increased or decreasedconditioning of the flue gas is needed.
 4. The apparatus as in claim 3wherein a remote control source monitors the operation of theelectrostatic precipitator and generates a first control signalactuating the catalytic converter to move to the operative positionwithin the main flue gas duct when electrostatic precipitator operationindicates a need for flue gas conditioning and generates a secondcontrol signal actuating the catalytic converter to move to theinoperative position outside of the main flue gas duct whenelectrostatic precipitator operation indicates flue gas conditioning isno longer needed.
 5. The apparatus as in claim 3 wherein said remotecontrol source monitors the opacity of the flue gas and generates afirst control signal actuating the catalytic converter to move to theoperative position within the main flue gas duct when electrostaticprecipitator and flue gas opacity indicate a need for flue gasconditioning and generates a second control signal actuating thecatalytic converter to move to the inoperative position outside of themain flue gas duct when electrostatic precipitator operation and fluegas opacity indicate flue gas conditioning is no longer needed.
 6. Anapparatus for generating conditioning agent used for treating flue gasin the removal of entrained particles in the main flue gas flow with anelectrostatic precipitator, said precipitator having at least onecharged electrode disposed within a main flue gas duct, comprising:firstmeans for sensing a discharge rate of said charged electrode and forgenerating a conditioning agent demand signal; and second means forgenerating conditioning agent from said flue gas in response to saidconditioning agent demand signal from said first means, said secondmeans being movable between an operative position within the main fluegas flow so that the flue gas passes therethrough when conditioningagent is needed and an inoperative position outside of the path of themain flue gas flow when conditioning agent is no longer needed.
 7. Theapparatus of claim 6 wherein said second means comprises a pair ofcatalyst membranes, each catalyst membrane being movable between anoperative position within the main ductwork where the pair of catalystmembranes collectively define a coplanar catalyst bed occupyingsubstantially all of the interior cross-sectional space of said mainductwork when conditioning agent is needed, and inoperative positionsoutside of the main ductwork when conditioning agent is no longerneeded.
 8. In a method for conditioning entrained particles in a flow offlue gas within a main ductwork for their removal with an electrostaticprecipitator having at least one charged electrode, the improvementcomprising the steps of:determining a rate of discharge of said chargedelectrode; generating a conditioning agent demand signal based on saiddischarge rate of said charged electrode; moving catalytic conversionmeans between an inoperative position outside of the main ductwork andan operative position in the flow of flue gas within the main ductworkin response to said conditioning demand signal; converting a portion ofSO₂ contained in the flue gas flow into SO₃ with said movable catalyticconversion means; conditioning entrained particles in the flow of fluegas with said SO₃ ; and removing entrained particles from the flue gasflow with the electrostatic precipitator.
 9. The flue gas treatmentmethod as in claim 8 wherein said catalytic conversion means is movedlinearly between said inoperative and operative positions.
 10. In amethod for treating flue gas prior to its emission to the atmosphere,including the steps of generating a main flue gas flow with acoal-burning boiler furnace, said flue gas flow having SO₂ andparticulate flow matter entrained therein; conditioning said flue gasflow to increase the efficiency of the removal of the particulate matterprior to the removal of said particulate matter; and removing theparticulate matter in said flue gas flow with an electrostaticprecipitator;the improvement comprising the step of moving catalyst froman inoperative position outside of the flow of the flue gas flow to anoperative position in said flue gas flow and converting SO₂ in said fluegas flow into SO₃ for conditioning particulate matter entrained in theflue gas flow in response to the demand for SO₃ for conditioning theparticulate matter.
 11. The flue gas treatment method as in claim 10wherein the step of moving the catalyst comprises moving acatalyst-carrying assembly between an operative position within the fluegas flow, so that the flue gas flow passes through said catalyst and asmall portion of the SO₂ in the flue gas flow is converted to SO₃, andan inoperative position without the gas flow.
 12. The flue gas treatmentmethod as in claim 11 further comprising the steps of:detecting the needfor increased or decreased conditioning of the flue gas; generating afirst signal to move the catalyst assembly to the operative position togenerate SO₃ when an increased need for conditioning of the flue gas isdetected; and generating a second signal to move the catalyst assemblyto the inoperative position to discontinue to generation of the SO₃ flowwhen a decreased need for conditioning of the flue gas is detected. 13.The flue gas treatment method of claim 11 further including the step ofreplacing the catalyst in the assembly when the catalyst-carryingassembly is disposed in the second inoperative position.